Graduates of West Hartford’s Hall High School were filled with pride as they completed high school and gathered together one last time to receive their diplomas.

By Kaily Martinez. Photos by Craig Rosenberg

To everyone’s dismay and surprise, strong gusts of wind and tiny specks of rain broke through at William H. Hall High School’s graduation ceremony on Monday, June 10, 2024. Despite the sudden gloomy weather, once the Class of 2024 began to walk across the stage, the sun came out of hiding. As the sun shone on them, it seemed like a way of welcoming the graduates into this new chapter of their lives. 

Daniel Zittoun, principal of Hall High School, gave an inviting and historical introductory speech at the ceremony. Beginning his speech, Zittoun said this year marked the school’s 100th anniversary.

“Across Hall’s immense diversity, a common thread that runs throughout is everyone’s commitment to education. As a school, we are fortunate to have a community that honors and respects education. Actually, you not only honor and respect it, you demand it,” Zittoun said.

Following Zittoun was Anne McKernan, assistant superintendent for administration of West Hartford Public Schools, who delivered the first opening remarks. McKernan reminded seniors that while their journey may be different from others, the most important journey they will go on is their “inner journey” as they discover who they are and who they will become. 

“Tonight is a culmination of a journey that has been anything but ordinary. The path that has led us to this moment has been marked by challenges,” McKernan said. “For the Class of 2024 is not just any graduating class. Your graduating class entered high school amidst a global pandemic and emerged stronger, more resilient and more aware.”

Jason Gagnon, a member of the Board of Education, also spoke to the soon-to-be graduates. Gagnon’s speech could not have given better advice. The advice he gave to the graduating seniors was the same mantra he gives his children before he drops them off at school: to be brave, be kind, and be curious. 

After the Hall High School choir sang their Alma Mater, student speaker Akiva Davis joked with the audience but connected the most with the graduating seniors. Davis brought up how the meaning of the phrase “carpe diem” is to “seize the day.” However, Davis expressed that life is not about the days we seize. Instead, it is about the days that seize us. 

“So, what are the days that seize us? These are the days that usually, without warning, grab us and push us to our limits. The days that present us with impossible choices. That reminds us of how little control we have,” Davis said.

Davis spoke fondly about a fellow senior they admire. Using the alias “Julia,” Davis expressed how Julia lost her mother to a disease and then, a few years later, her stepmother to a deadly heart condition. Despite all of that, Julia “dedicated herself to ensuring others don’t suffer as she has“ and decided to become a doctor, Davis said. 

“You know how they say to make lemonade out of the lemons you’re handed? Julia’s lemons were so bitter they were useless for making lemonade. So Julia did something amazing. She chucked the lemons and planted the seeds,” Davis said. “There is no universal answer. Life’s meaning is defined by your individual character and demonstrated in our most challenging days.”

Following the Hall High School choir’s rendition of “Homeward Bound,” faculty speaker Justin Boucher touched on his own memories of being a senior on graduation day. Boucher recalled how eager he was to leave so he could go on a canoe trip with some of his friends. On that trip was someone who would become a lifelong friend after a prank gone wrong had sent them both into the water. Boucher’s speech reminded graduating seniors that their time together may not completed, “so as you get the heck out of here, I hope you will remember that some of the folks who made you who you are, might not be done yet.”

As the Class of 2024 starts a new novel of their lives, many new and exciting doors will open, serving as a continuous reminder to work hard and to keep growing. Who knows what doors will open up?

A complete list of the Hall High School Class of 2024 can be found below the photos.

Hall High School Class of 2024 (list provided by Hall High School)

Tala Ahmed Adelkarim

Angel Enrique Acevedo

Diego Acker Candela

Kylie Anne Albee

Raphael Tomas Alfonso

Kevin Steven Ali

Natalia Esperanza Allard

Lana Janine Anderson

Sarah Rose Angell

Aidan Edward Arnold

Aryanna Lynn Arter

Valerie JoAnne Auwarter

Everett Bentley Baker

Grace Katherine Baker

Naimah Faith Ballard

Arelys Marie Ballestas

Emilio Enrique Ballesteros

Cody William Barnett

Timothy Scott Baumer

Jeremy Ward Baun

Pedro Matthew Beltran

Evan Samuel Berey

Cristiano Almeida Bernardo

Ian Tyler Bernstein

Elise Kemp Biondi

Charles Allen Phineas Birbara

Hynes Michael Birmingham

Bryce David Blodgett

Thomas Layton Boulter

Jery Jack Bravo Carrera

Luis Angel Bravo

Derek James Dael Braxton

Jordan Rickey Brice

Ilana Pauline Brown

Ja’Nyah Bruins

Charlotte Mary Burkhard

Adam James Busi

Gwendolyn Claire Bye

Mariedelys Alexandra Caceres

Jesus Adriano Calderon

Charles Taylor Cameron

Owen Woolfson Campbell

Ameer Ahmad Cantrell

Ashley Carol Carlson

Tesfanesh Janet Carlson

Daniel L. Cattelan

Kaitlyn Ariel Chaletsky

Edison Qiwu Chen

Fabian Vincent Roberto Cobran

David Evan Cohen

Juan Carlos Collazo

Charles Avery Collin

Charles Joseph Croce

Finn Cseszko

Kathleen Mary Culmo

Mary Nome Curley

Avery Elisabeth Cyr

Jose Antonio Da Rocha Olivares

Bianca Martins Da Silva

Bruno Henrique Da Silveira Santos

Akiva Eliezer Davis

Clarice De Seixas Correa Araujo

Jordan Christian Delaney

Nicholas Robert DeLeo

Gabriel Everett Dell

Jack Louis Deloreto

Anna Ruth DeSanto

Jai Nobu Deshpande

Gabriella Elizabeth Deslauriers

Francis Abraham DeWander

Davina Dhanraj

Jonathan Thomas Dixon

William Street Dunbar

Aleksandr Manuel Duprey

Emma Jean Elmore

Leif Castiel Ennis

Alexander Andy Espinoza

Jacob Matthew Esterson

Alexa Mary Faga

Chloe Rose Faryna

Tatiyana London Ferrance

Alyssa Arden Ferreira

Meghan Elizabeth Fitzsimonds

Irene Livia Fotache

Henry Thomson Frank

Amecca Freeman

Jamir Salih Rivers Freeman

Liliana Susana Marie Friedman

Lauren Elizabeth Fressola

Benjamin Thomas Frey

Rita Michaela Froehlich

Gaius Alexander Galdi

Grace Elizabeth Ganey

Robbin Evangeline Garcia

Colby Rose Gengras

Brody Fox Gerrard

Binakshya Gharti

Francesca Julie Giordano

Sophia Sooha Goldman

Ellie Brooke Goldstein

Camila Gonzales Martel

Leah Angely Gonzalez

Amisha Liana Gopaul

Zachary Lawrence Green

Cassidy Erin Greene

Joseph Cooper Griffin

Alonzo Alexander Guevara

Yomar Alexis Guido

Kamari Dai Gunn

Jose Raul Guzman

Lucas Daniel Guzman

Benjamin Andres Gwiazdoski

Chase Robert Hanawalt

Dayna Katelyn Hanson

Joel Eli Harris

Styx Stanton Hatch

Mason Michael Hebert

Adelaide Grace Herbener

Jane Elizabeth Hoberman

Elizabeth Sarah Hockensmith

Joshua Brian Horenstein

Britton Moore Housum

Astrid Margareta Hughes

Alexander Philip Hyams

Isabelle Cavanholi Idalencio

Justin Alix Innocent-Peralte

Benjamin Dylan Isaacson

Shona Romy Jacob

Z’Yani Dion James

Sydney Elle Johnson

Justin Anthony Joiner

Natalie Marie Jopeck

Elizabeth Grace Karim

Shahd Mansour Karkar

Malaika Summer Kato

Harmandeep Kaur

Yaren Begum Kaya

John Ross Kearney

Romysa Zuhair Kenna

Declan James Kerr

Taha Khan

Nora Yiran Kingwell

Mark Gershel Kirzon

Shira Klein

Ava Grace Kobelski

Eilis McManus Kootsookos

Benjamin Jacob Kosovskiy

Nicholas Yuriy Kostylev

Sally Hannah Kritzman

Joelson Ty Krulewitz

Parker Nicholas Krusch

Isabella Eileen Olya Lachut

David Francis Ladieu

Luiza Laiber Ferreira DePaula

Howard William Lam

Jordan Hallie Lang

Thomas Nguyen Le

Stephanie C. Leal

Alina Rochelle Lee

Miguel Angel Leon Leon

Talia Brynn Leshem

Rachel Frances Levy

Sadie Rain Levy

Simon Perry Levy

Patrick Bishop Liddell

Alan Gabriel Lopez

Jonathan Rolando Lopez

Kailo Elias Lopez

David Yihao Lu

Emily Lu

Owen Zachary Ludgin

Barrett Rose Lynch

Wigner Ma

Priyanka Rudra Magavi

Isaac Pierce Mahler

Ahmed Waleed Abdalla Mahmoud

Madeline Sage Makarewicz

Philip Lane Burdick Mathews

Madison Sarah Maxwell

Joshua Jack Mayer

Connor Gordon Mayr

Sarah Grace McCarthy-Reynolds

Colin Edward McGann

Molly Katherine McHugh

Noah Edward McKenzie

Margaret Alexis Merrow

Shawn Isaiah Middleton

Sarah Jane Mielcarek

Azukaego Edward-Harrington Moemeka

Jamal Nooranie Mohamad

Taneisha Liz Montes Diaz

Adrianna Isabel Montes Ramos

Edward Gabriel Morales

Kikoh Vigilio Mordukai

Kathryn Anne Moskal

Lauren Grace Moskal

Konrad Motyka

Charlotte Ava Mullin

Sharon Valeria Murcia-Catano

Owen Connor Murphy

Dylan William Muskrat

Thomas James Nash

Joseph Issac Nathan

Jacob William Neff

Ananya Isabelle Netter

Jayden Khanh-Hung Nguyen

Joe Vinh Nham

Izubundu Uchechukwa Nwachuku

John Patrick O’Neill

Folasade Obisesan

Joshua David Orsey

Rawda Abdalla Othman

Jackson Henry Ottani

Jonas Timothy Otte

Ruochen Ouyang

Matei Adrian Panaitisor

Kyriakos Papasavas

Beatrice Noor Parham

Frank Jayden Paul

Mauricio Adrian Paz Soldan

Dakota Zaia Peck

Alexis Josue Peralta Guerra

Alex Perez

Alexandra Nicole Perez-Coniglione

Caroline Grace Pfadenhauer

Kyla Oliveira Pillonetto

Katherine Anne Pillow

Jonathan Phillip Pincus

Nicholas George Poulakos

Rylan Emily Priest

Olivia Grace Privizzino

Phoenix James Procaccini

Raina Aimee Procaccini

Owen Puello

Sarah Elizabeth Punt

Alyssa Renee Puskarz

Akshaya Radhakrishnan

Charlotte Rebecca Ranks

Abbad Ur-Rehman Raza

Caitlin Rose Regan

Jacob Vincent Richard

Mason Paul Riddle

Akina Peyton Rigby

Sophia Isabelly Rodrigues

Isaura Karen Rolon

Rebecca Eliana Fernandez Romano

Peter Aldo Rosa

Ellie Mercedes Rosado

Eli Joseph Rotter

Dominic Miranda Roussos

Sofia Ruffo

Lilian Michelle Ruiz

Natalie Sofia Ruiz

Sandra Marta Ryfka

Yasmin Saez De Freitas

Jezrael Saez-Munoz

Idris Salehi

Caleb Micah Salomons

Grace Samuel

Dyanara Lee Santa

Jack Ferdinand Sauer

Kayshawn Raheem Savage

Julia Celeste Savo

Copeland Ray Schlatter

Zoe Renee Schmidt

Hannah Gillian Schoen

Sean Patrick Scully

Julian Nicolas Serrano

Mason Scott Shapiro

Jude Marin Shauck

Aleks Shehi

Gavin Michael Sherman

Priya Sanjay Shinde

Cameron Shirley

Rhean Michael Shockley

Marwa Shoja

Anna Louise Siciliano

Priya Sinha

Charles Thomas Sink

Gabriel Robert Sisk

Aparna Sitaram

Sanjana Sitaram

Bode Joseph Smith

Heaven Danibel Smith

Jayden MeKenley Smith

Quinn Gabriel Smith

Ari Levi Sobel-Pressman

Talia Jane Sortman

Luis Manuel Sotomayor

Jared Pierre St. Arromand

Caroline Ruby Stein

Mark Philip Stein

Shane Amir Stevenson

Sarah Elizabeth Stone-Zelman

Abhaya Sundar

Clare Sweeney

Jarah Reese Teitler

Haileigh Elizabeth Tharp

Sydney Marie Todd

Aarohi Aneesh Tolat

Katherine Kye-May Tsang

Molly Erin Valachovic

J-Fren O’ Neal Valle

James Steven Varellas

Vitalina Veriienko

Jadin Alexandra Vidal

Gabriel de Souza Vilas Novas

Victoria Uyo Wada

Aris Marie Walker

Zari Senai Walker

Jacob McLean Walters

Allison Lynn Wang

Adam Lee Ward

Atis Gaige Watt

Samuel Matthew Weiner

Morgan Shanelle Weir

Angus Boeckmann Whalen

Ela Boeckmann Whalen

Madison Rayne Williams

Mackinsey Grace Wilson

Charles Jude Winokur

Anthony Jefferson Witten

Ella Sylvia Wolfe

Emily Hayden Wollner

Olivia Rose Wollner

Maya S. Wolpaw

Senai Jeremiah Wooden

Liam John Wright

Nicholas Felicissimo Xavier

Brady Mei Xue

Colby St Jean Yingling

Jonathan Michael York

Alexander Li Yuan

Jaylen Marcelo Zamorano

Genesis Zea Alcivar

Matthew Patrick Zeman

Mark Justin Zhang

Leah Sophia Zirolli

Sienna Simone Zitzkat

Ava Alice Zurkowski-Manning

Julia Charlotte Zydanowicz

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